http://sunlighthomesblog.com Mon, 09 Jun 2008 22:16:46 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en If you haven't seen the movie "Amadeus" you owe it to yourself to watch it. It is one of my all-time favorites. Everything about the movie is wonderful and it will make you laugh and wonder what life was like over a century ago. The location, settings and costumes are ... http://sunlighthomesblog.com/2008/06/09/too-many-notes-amadeus-and-home-design/ It is time to rethink the shape of our homes in response to current energy and environmental issues. Oversized homes designed to look like little castles have been inspired by some romantic notion of times gone by, not by the prospect of peak oil or rising energy costs. World energy ... http://sunlighthomesblog.com/2008/04/19/the-shapes-of-homes-to-come/ I am an advocate of smaller homes for a number of reasons and the single most important "pressure point" when building green and sustainable homes is home size. You can build a new home with every green bell and whistle available, but if the house-to-occupant ratio is too large it ... http://sunlighthomesblog.com/2008/03/05/mini-cars-for-mini-homes/ House Lust: America's Obsession With Our Homes by Daniel McGinn While I have not read this book (it is new in 2008) it is clear from the publisher's notes that it is about the house building mania we have seen in the US over the past several years. I'm not suggesting ... http://sunlighthomesblog.com/2008/01/15/house-lust/ We all know that energy is going to be one of the most pressing issues facing us both as individuals and a society. In the past few years, oil and other petrol-related fuels, such as natural gas, have been rising in price much faster than the general inflation rate. It ... http://sunlighthomesblog.com/2007/12/06/anticipating-the-future-building-a-new-home/ Unlike commercial construction which has clear safety regulations that must be followed, residential construction has few, if any, formal safety procedures. It amazes me how many residential work sites are hazardous. From my informal surveys, it appears that more than half of all workers don’t even use safety glasses, which ... http://sunlighthomesblog.com/2007/11/29/a-clean-job-site-is-a-happy-job-site/ I believe that there is a big difference between a house and a home. It is sort of like the difference between having a meal at a chain restaurant and having a good, home cooked meal. Both will make you full, but one has soul (like a home) and the ... http://sunlighthomesblog.com/2007/10/03/home-is-where-the-heart-isand-where-some-soul-should-be-too/ Anyone who has ever installed fiberglass insulation between studs in a frame home knows very well that the technolgy is marginal at best. The author of the following article, Steve Maxwell is the technical editor of Canadian Home Workshop Magazine We added the photos for interest (and humor!) Insulation Innovation Holds Promise ... http://sunlighthomesblog.com/2007/09/16/the-reality-of-fiberglass-insulation/ Most people who decide to build a new custom home begin by choosing a home style that they like. Most of the homes that I have designed have had pitched roofs, but a substantial number of our projects have had flat roofs; usually either Southwest pueblo or contemporary styles. In the ... http://sunlighthomesblog.com/2007/08/03/flat-roofs-the-wicking-witch-of-the-west/ The topic of owner/building or owner/contracting comes up pretty regularly around here. The short answer that I give my customers who are considering owner/building or owner/contracting is to approach this issue very carefully. The process of building a house is multifaceted and complex. To do it well requires knowing a ... http://sunlighthomesblog.com/2007/07/06/owner-buildingcontracting-your-new-home-7607/